Wallpaper knife and guide



March 17, 1970 J. F. LUNDQUIST WALLPAPER KNIFE AND GUIDE Filed May 11, 1967 E O 8 Ma 2 r|| I Q F 2 A L n IN VE N TOR E L ZND JERGEN E W ATTY.

United States Patent 3,500,540 WALLPAPER KNIFE AND GUIDE Jergen F. Lundquist, 225 S. Yale, Addison, Ill. 60101 Filed May 11, 1967, Star. N 0. 637,804 Int. Cl. B26b 29/00 US. Cl. 30--294 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A paper hanging knife and guide apparatus that is especially adapted for creasing and cutting wall covering material, such as wallpaper, on a wall surface along a line where two adjoining surfaces meet each other at an angle.

Background Prior to this invention, there were a great many paper hangers apparatus provided for cutting and fitting wall surface materials such as wallpaper during application of the surfacing material to a wall. The majority'of these apparatus had guiding members for the blades and manual adjusting means such as a thumb screw associated with the guiding member and the blade to allow the blade to be lowered through the guide member to cut-a wall covering material. The majority of the cutting members were not immediately operable and required adjustment of the blade for the purpose of determining the depth of the cut. These apparatus, of necessity, required constant adjustment from the operating to the non-operating position. Thus, manual adjustment was required in order that the blade be retracted after use, due to its being hazardous as well as adjustment of the blade for thickness of material being cut.

Summary of the invention The present invention is a paper hangers knife and guide combination that may be used to crease and cut a wall covering material, comprised of a slidable guide member adapted to fit and slide between surfaces that meet at an angle, a resilient connecting member and a cutting tool consisting of a handle that grasps and retains a cutting blade. The resilient connecting member is adapted to attach the guide member to the handle of the cutting member. The cutting blade on the cutting member is positioned so as to be poised over the slot in the guide member and is adapted to extend therethrough when force is applied to the handle of the cutting member. The force causes the resilient member to compress sufficiently to allow the blade to extend through the slot of the guide member and to revert back to its original position when the pressure is released.

The invention will be more clearly understood in view of the description of the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the complete wallpaper knife and guide of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view with portions broken away therefrom;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrow 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 3 with the cutting blade omitted; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view with portions broken away.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, FIG- URE 1 shows a guide member generally depicted as having plane members 11 (FIGURE 3) joined in a dihedral angle and having a slot aperture 12 shown in dotted outline on the forward or left end at and through the vertex of the dihedral angle therebetween (FIG- URE 1). The guide member 10 has a resilient connecting 3,500,540 Patented Mar. 17, 1970.

member 14 attached thereto by screws, rivets, pins or the like 16. Resilient connecting member 14 may be constructed from spring steel, stainless steel, key stock, rubber, resilient plastic or the like. Resilient connecting member 14 is attached to handle 18 of a cutting member generally indicated as 20 on the rear end of guide member 10, i.e., the end opposed to that end containing slot 12. Resilient member 14 may be attached to handle 18 by means of a screw, bolt, pin or the like 22. Cutting member 20 is comprised of a handle 18 and a knife holding member 24 which is connected to handle 18 by means of a connector 26. Knife holding member 24 converges to form a slot at its forward end 28 to hold a blade 30 such as a single-edged razor blade. As shown in FIGURE 2, blade 30 on the forward portion 28 of knife holder member 24 is adapted to fit within slot 12 of guide member 10, and protrude therethrough so as to sever a wall covering material such as wallpaper 32.

The general contour of guide member 10 is shown in FIGURE 3 wherein blade 30 is shown extending through the slot 12 of guide member 10 and is adapted to sever a wall covering such as wallpaper 32. The plane members 11 of guide member 10 join each other at an angle of about FIGURE 4 shows slot 12 of guide member 10 with blade 30 removed therefrom and more clearly shows the manner of attachment of resilient member 14 by means of a screw, pin, rivet or the like, 16.

FIGURE 5 shows an alternate embodiment of guide member 10 shown as 10a wherein rollers 34 are utilized on the forward (left) and the rearward (right) portion of guide member 10a to support the guide member 10a on rollers as it passes over and creases a covering material 32, rather than slide on the covering material as do the previously shown guide members of FIGURES 1 through 4.

It will be noted that rollers 34 provide a smooth and easy means of creasing the covering material 32 to enable one to slice the covering material with a rolling rather than sliding action on the forward end of guide member 10' as shown in the previously described figures. Both the sliding and rolling embodiments allow one to cut through a wall covering material without wrinkles being formed as the paper or covering material is being severed.

Operation The paper hanging apparatus of this invention is utilized during the cutting and fitting of a wall surface material such as wallpaper on the walls of a room. The apparatus is especially adapted for thecutting and fitting of a wall material to a wall surface that joins a second wall surface at an angle. In this cutting and fitting operation, the guide member is especially adapted to crease and cut the wall covering material in a smooth and clean manner. The creasing and cutting is accomplished by placing the guide member of the apparatus in complemental engagement with the joinder of the two wall surfaces after the covering material has been applied and by exerting pressure on the handle of the cutting member to cause the guide to crease the material and simultaneously force the blade through the slot of the guide member and cut that material immediately beneath the guide member surface.

The guide member will pass evenly along the surface between the intersecting wall surfaces and will not wrinkle or cause the covering material to tear unevenly. The resilient connecting member that attaches the guide member to the cutting member does not contain any ad justing screws for the purpose of determining the depth at which the blade extends beneath the guide member and the depth of penetration of the blade is determined by the amount of force exerted on the handle of the cutting member. The cutting blade is thus immediately distendable by applying a force and immediately retractable by releasing the force on the handle, The paper hanging apparatus of this invention may be economically constructed in view of the fact that it has only three major parts, i.e., a guide member, a resilient connector, and a cutter.

The invention as set forth in the description above has made reference to certain specific embodiments, however, this is by way of illustration and not limitation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various alterations may be made in the guide member as well as the resilient connecting member without departing from the inventive concepts set forth herein. The scope of the invention is defined solely by the appended claims which should be construed as broadly as is consistent with the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for creasing and cutting wall covering material such as wallpaper and wall surfaces along the line of intersection between the surfaces of a wall, comprising in combination a guide;

a cutter;

a handle and a resilient connecting member; said guide having two plane members forming a creasing dihedral angle on the outer surface thereof and having 4. r a ,slot aperture through the forward portion of the dihedral angle plane members;

said resilient member being secured to the rear of said guide and extending above the guide and secured to one end of the handle which is directed toward the slot with the other end of said handle being attached to said cutter; said cutterhaving a cutting edge normally positioned adjacent the slot of said guide and movable against the resistance of the resilient member through the slot when pressure is applied to said handle, said handle providing the sole means needed to hold and manipulate the apparatus. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plane members are provided with rollers on the outer surface thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,825,108 9/1931 Webster 294 X 1,871,968 8/1932 Ege 30-293 2,889,623 6/1959 Baker 30294 2,966,742 1/1961 Harian 30294 X 3,349,486 10/1967 Voight 30294 ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner J. C. PETERS Assistant Examiner 

